First off, I’ve been massively in love with Churchill‘s current single, “Change”, ever since RadioBDC started to play it in heavy rotation. A folk-indie quintet hailing from Denver, CO, Churchill blends sweet melodies with sharp lyrics and soulful harmonies. I was lucky enough to score a pair of spots on the guest list for their “Live in the Lab” set at RadioBDC, and I’m just so incredibly glad I went. I’d fallen pretty hard for singer/keyboardist Bethany Kelly’s breathy voice in all those airings of “Change”, and the rest of the band – singer/guitarist/founder Tim Bruns, singer/mandolinist/founder Michael Morter, bassist Tyler Rima and drummer Joe Richmond (who was a spitting image of Dave Pirner) – were all equally fabulous. Morter’s mandolin solos – especially during their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” – were utterly brilliant, and the five-piece band managed to pack quite a lot of energy (and equipment) into the tight confines of the Lab stage. The holiday wasn’t the only reason the audience area was packed for this performance; this band really has some great chops. For those who like their alt-folk equally as smart as Death Cab for Cutie, with the sweet vocal stylings of Zero Seven, I highly recommend checking out Churchill.

Morter rocks out on the mandolin solo, while Bruns does an equally fabulous job on the guitar

You can get a nice view of their set by going to the Live in the Lab archive on RadioBDC’s web site. Three of the four songs they played, including “Change”, are included in the archive; there’s also a brief interview with the band, as well.

If you want to hear more of Churchill for yourself, samples of tracks are available via Churchill’s web site, Reverbnation, and Myspace. Better alternatives: go to the store and buy the “Change” EP and download the RadioBDC app to your iPhone/iPad, Android device or Blackberry. Seriously, I don’t shill. They’re not paying me for this. I believe in local radio and I believe in having your music curated by people, not machines. Live in the Lab sessions and other free shows put on by RadioBDC are a public service that are worth more than their weight in gold. Support bands, support music, and for pete’s sake: Support ACTUAL local radio. Please.

OK – enough ranting. Now, I get to talk about the other fun part of my visit.

I’ve been corresponding aplenty on Twitter with boston.com senior health & wellness producer Elizabeth Comeau, aka @BeWellBoston, as she tries to convert the masses to #plankaday. She’s also in the process of running a training program for two of the Adams in her life, including RadioBDC’s Adam 12, as she gets them prepped for a 5K race scheduled for early March. A regular contributor to RadioBDC, Elizabeth is often found in the halls of their studio trying to convince RadioBDC’s Henry Santoro to do just ONE PLANK for the rest of us. (His hilarious attempts to avoid doing #plankaday, including his now-famous “standing against the wall plank”, aren’t discouraging her one bit.)

Friends don’t let friends plank alone – I’m in the upper right-hand corner, with my friend next to me; Elizabeth is at the bottom of the picture

We promised that we’d meet up and do a plank, and so we did. After the show, we hung out for a few minutes and then grabbed some carpet space at the back of the lab and planked for 1:08. I could’ve gone a little longer, but since Elizabeth is already up in the 5-minute plank range, I knew that I’d be down on the carpet well before her. It was great getting to meet her – and getting in my plank right there in the RadioBDC lab! It was also nice to have a friend along with me who was a good enough sport to get in on the fun; of course, since she’s a spin instructor in her spare time, she also said, “I could’ve gone longer!” Now, if only we can get Henry to do one…